Tuesday, July 29, 2008

As I downloaded the Gilroy Garlic Festival video files, I was positively giddy at how well they turned out. For a cheap little pocket cam, the clips were crisp and colorful. I had captured some great moments - a perfect flame-up, a garlic-basting rosemary broom, and someone walking in heels. I was really impressed with myself. As I opened iMovie to edit the clips, my euphoria was replaced by intense feelings of anger, shame, and sadness.

A month ago I got a free trail for software that quickly and easily converts the files from the camera to a format that iMovie can edit. I had 30 days to try it and see if it was something I wanted to buy. I've tested a lot of these free trails over the years, and without exception, when the trial period is up, they simply stop working.

In this case, much to my horror, the program didn’t just stop working; it placed a huge scarlet stamp over the frame of every clip I downloaded! Since I had seen the previews, and they looked fine, I had cleared the camera as usual. So, now my wonderful footage is forever desecrated with these scarlet letters. I will further my public humiliation by posting some of the film tomorrow anyway, if only to spite my digital oppressors.

15 comments:

Chef John, There are free programs available on the net to recover deleted pictures from your memory card. It works well if the part of the card that the pictures were on, wasn't overwritten by pictures you took later. Check it out. You may get some or all of your pictures back. Good luck. Jim

Card or memory, it's the same thing. When you erase files, your camera is really just removing the name so you can't see the data. The files are still there, just unnamed. The programs jim mentions should recover them.

The camera doesn't need to take the time or expend the energy to actually delete files when it's just as easy to overwrite them when new info gets recorded. Give it a try if you really want those pics. It'll work.

Ahh, I don't know how many free Appz there are for Mac's. I see plenty of programs you can buy to do it, the cheapest being $32. You don't know someone with a Windows computer that could help? Loads of free software that can do the job for Windows. Come on Chef, it's easy, do we need to make you a video with hard drives hanging on the wall? ;-)

Thanks for your help, but it's not a big deal. It only affects the spycam stuff which I dont use often. I can use the program that came with it to convert. The free program was just faster. I really dont need to recover these video files. It's just a short film.

Chef Jon,This is Meeta... I hope you remember me.. I must have been one of your rare Indian students. I have been wanting to get in touch with you for a long time but was not sure how. I left for India in a hurry and could not get your info or as a matter of fact anybody else's which I shall always regret.So I am on the verge of opening a restaurant here and had to let you know.Meeta

Of course I remember you! But, why did you have to open in India? How am I going to get my free meal?? Congratulations, I wish you all the success in the world. I know you will do a great job! Please send me some photos of the food when you get a chance. Thanks!

Squash Bird?This is even better, you get to come to India, stay with us and get free meals. nothing like visiting a new country and trying out new food.Please ell me whats going on with you other than this website, though I am sure this keeps you busy.My email address is meeta.makhecha@gmail.com

If there's some footage that you absolutely MUST have, there's software to remove these! I would probably go on a rampage and shoot everyone responsible, but I respect your sensibility :-P

Anyway, there's software that can create a "difference mask" from a frame shot against a white or black background and will apply it with some tweaking to the rest of the video. As you can see, the watermark isn't completely opaque and thus can be removed to some extent....